“Townships Youth Radio” to hit the airwaves next week
On Tuesday, January 30, at 6 p.m. Townships Youth Radio will hit the airwaves on CJMQ, 88.9FM, for the very first time. An after-school project of fifth and sixth grade students at the Sherbrooke Vision School, the hour long radio program claims to be the only program in the region that is written, recorded, and produced exclusively by local students for public broadcast.
“We are very proud,” said Pierre Desgagné, Development Director with the trilingual private school in Sherbrooke’s Rock Forest Borough, explaining that the original goal of the radio project was to provide students with a concrete and interesting way of improving their oral and written communication skills in English.
Although the interest in creating a school radio station came from Desgagné, the administrator explained that he had to turn to the expertise of his friend, experienced local broadcaster Daniel Coulombe, for the skills and know-how necessary to get the students on the air. Using tips from Coulombe on what the school might need, Desgagné bought the necessary equipment in the
spring of 2017 and started the ball rolling.
“Daniel was available and motivated to start the project,” Desgagné said. “The first time that we used the equipment was at the 2017 graduation, in June. We installed the station in the middle of the entrance and when people arrived we did interviews. It was simply magic for the kids.”
The positive response to the graduation project led to an even more successful summer camp focused on learning the ropes of radio broadcast which, in turn, produced enough interest that the school now has a team of 22 students working after school on two nights each week to produce original, English-language radio content.
“It is going very well,” Desgagné said, noting that exceptional talents have shown themselves in the students involved.
Francois Pelissier and Clara Blanchette, both sixth grade students at the school, say that they have absolutely fallen in love with the extracurricular activity.
“I like that we have learned all the techniques of radio, but also about communicating,” said Blanchette, who will serve as the host of Townships Youth Radio, adding that she has learned a lot about the do’s and don’ts of broadcasting over the two months she has been involved with the project.
Coulombe, whom the students refer to affectionately as “Mr. D,” praised Blanchette’s ability behind the microphone, saying that she sounds like a seasoned professional.
“Mr. D has taught us in a really energetic way, which we love,” the young host said, deferring the praise.
Although Pelissier started out in the same seat as Blanchette, he said that he has found his niche acting as the program’s sound engineer.
“This summer I was doing like Clara, but Mr. D said I was good with the mixer” the sixth grader said. “I love it; I think I like it more than talking in the microphone.”
Both students said that they can’t wait to hear the finished program on the air next week.
Coulombe, who has been involved with radio in the Eastern Townships for decades, praised the initiative of both Vision and CJMQ for taking on the project.
“One of the things that has captured my attention is that the Vision school went out on a limb and took chances because there is an investment involved,” the broadcaster said, “The school is totally behind it and backing it 100 per cent.“
On the other side of the arrangement, Coulombe pointed out that the idea of giving amateur broadcasters, let alone a group of elementary school students, an hour of air time would likely represent an unacceptable risk for most radio stations.
“It takes an awful lot of vision to agree to something like that,” he said, arguing that CJMQ’S decision to partner with the school goes to the heart of what it means to be a community radio station. “This is a project that is interesting to everyone,” Coulombe continued, “I think it is something very special.”
The first installment of Townships Youth Radio will feature segments on nutrition, Martin Luther King, Youtubers, and the Chinese New Year, as well as an interview with Montreal-based musician Charlotte Cardin. It will continue with different content on the last Tuesday of every month for the next five months.
“That will give us the time to find subjects, do the research, write the scripts and record it,” Desgagné said.
Although the project organizer said that in the long term the school would like to look at setting up its own internet radio station, he added that the school would really like to see the collaboration with CJMQ continue if it proves to be successful.
“We have to support our Englishspeaking community,” Desgagné said, noting that CJMQ is the last English community radio station in the Sherbrooke area.